AndrásRiedlmayer."Introduction,"inDestructionofIslamicHeritageintheKosovoWar,1998-1999,bySabriBajgora;ed.byRobertElsieandPetritSelimi(Pristina:InterfaithKosovo,MinistryofForeignAffairsoftheRepublicofKosovo,2014):15-19.____________________________________________________Sinceancienttimes,KosovohasbeenacrossroadsoftheBalkans,wherethegreatreligiousandculturalcurrentsoftheMediterraneanworldhavemetandinteractedwitheachotherandwithrichindigenoustraditions.TheseculturalinteractionshavegivenKosovoaremarkablelegacy,includingastillthriving,600-year-oldEuropeanIslamictradition,apartofitsheritagethatdeservestobebetterknown.TheoldestIslamicsitesinKosovoarelinkedtothememoryofSariSaltukBaba(d.1298),alegendarySufimasterfromAnatolia,who,accompaniedbyagroupofthisdervishes,traveledandpreachedIslamintheregionacenturybeforethearrivaloftheOttomans.However,thefirstmajormonumentsofIslamicreligiousarchitectureinKosovoareconnectedwiththeestablishmentofOttomanruleinKosovointhe1400s.TheOttomansultansandtheirlocalofficials—manyamongthelatterbeingnativesoftheregion—establishedpiousendowments(vakuf,fromArabicwaqf)forthebuildingofmosques,medresas(theologicalschools),mektebs(schoolsforQur’an-readers),Islamiclibraries,charitysoupkitchens,bridges,hamams(bathhouses),tekkes(dervishlodgesoftheSufilaybrotherhoods),andbazaarshops,whoserentssupportedthesecharitableandreligiousinstitutions.NotableIslamicmonumentsfromtheearlyOttomanperiodinKosovoincludetheMosqueofSultanMurad(built1389-1440),inPrishtina,theMosqueandhamamofSultanMehmedtheConqueror(1461),inPrishtina,andtheMarketMosque(1471),inPeja/Peć—allofthemendowedbyOttomanemperors.TheGhaziAliBegMosque(1410)inVushtrria/Vučitrn,andthemosqueandhamamofHajjiHasanBeg(1462-85),inPeja/Peć,werefoundedbyearlyOttomangovernors.TheLlapMosque(1470),inPrishtina,wasendowedbyapiouslocalMuslimresident.
Prishtina.MosqueofSultanMehmedtheConqueror(1461).
Prizren.Thehamam(baths)ofGaziMehmedPasha,1563-1574.
MosquesandotherIslamicmonumentscontinuedtobebuiltinKosovothroughouttheperiodofOttomanrule.Muchofthisconstructiontookplaceduringthelatesixteenthandseventeenthcenturies,bywhichtimethemajorityofKosovo’spopulation,includingmostKosovoAlbaniansbutalsomanySlavs,hadbecomeMuslims.ManyofthemrosetojointheOttomaneliteassoldiers,statesmen,Islamicjuristsandscholars.Someattainedthehighestposts.Between1453and1912,closeto40oftheindividualswhoheldtheofficeofgrandvizier,thechiefministerwhoruledtheOttomanEmpireinthenameofthesultan,wereethnicAlbanians.Fromthesixteenthcenturyon,thegreatmajorityofthepatronswhoendowedmosquesandotherIslamicinstitutionsinKosovowerelocalpeople,aswerethebuildersandcraftsmenwhobuiltthem.ThestylesandmethodsofconstructionofIslamicmonumentsinKosovoreflectedlocaltastesandbuildingtechniques,aswellasbroadertrendsinBalkanandOttomanarchitecture.InKosovo’smountainouswestandontheDukagjinplateau,mosqueswereoftenbuiltinthesamemannerandofthesamematerialsasthekullas,thetraditionalAlbanianstonetower-housesoftheregion—thehouseofGodtakingontheformofthehousesofthefaithful.NotableexamplesofthisregionalstylearetheÇokMosque(1580),nearJunik,andtheMosqueofDeçan(1813).Inmanymosquesandtekkes(dervishlodges)inKosovo,localcrafttechniqueswereemployedtogoodeffectinelaboratelycarvedwoodenceilingsandotherinteriordecorations,asseenintheDefterdarMosque(1570)andtheKurshumliMosque(1577)inPeja/PećandinthetekkeofShehIslamEfendi(1881)inGjilan/Gnjilane.
Deçan.Mosque,builtlikeakulla;themosquewasburnedinthe1999war.IslamicreligiousarchitectureoftheeighteenthandnineteenthcenturyinKosovowasdistinguishedbytheexuberantuseofcolourandbythemuralsdepictinglandscapes,architectureandfloralmotifsthatcoveredtheinteriorwallsofmosques.Thispainteddecorationwasacharacteristicfeatureofmosquesbuiltduringthisperiod,amongthemtheRedMosqueinPeja/Peć(1744)andthesplendidJasharPashaMosqueinPrishtina(1834).Lavishmuralpaintingswerealsousedtodecorateoldermosquesthatwererenovatedatthistime,suchastheHadumMosqueinGjakova/Đakovica(built1592-95,renovatedin1842),theSinanPashaMosqueinPrizren(built1615,renovatedintheearly19thcentury),andtheBazaarMosqueinPeja(built1471,renovatedbyHaxhiZekainthelate19thcentury).
Prizren:Bird’s-eyeviewoftheSinanPashaMosque(1615).
Prizren:MuralpaintingsintheSinanPashaMosque.
ThefirstBalkanWar(1912)broughtanendtothelongcenturiesofOttomanruleinKosovo,whichwaspartitionedbetweenKingdomofSerbiaandtheKingdomofMontenegro.FollowingtheendoftheFirstWorldWar,thetwokingdomsmergedtoformanewstate,whichin1929wasrenamedYugoslavia.Duringthe70yearsthatfollowed,notverymanymosqueswerebuiltinKosovoandsomeweredestroyedorseizedbytheauthorities.AttheendofOttomanrulein1912,Prishtinahad18mosques.AttheendofWorldWarIIin1945,therewerestill16mosquesleft.ThenewcommunistYugoslavregimethattookpowerafterthewarclosedallbutfiveofthecity’smosques,convertingthemintowarehousesandothersecularuses.AspartofasocialisturbanredesignofthecentreofPrishtinainthe1950s,threehistoricmosqueswereorderedrazedbytheauthorities,amongthemtheLlokaçMosque(built1551).Someofthecity’sclosedmosqueswereallowedtoreopenforworshipduringtheeraofpoliticalliberalizationinthe1970sandearly1980s,
butnonewmosqueswerebuiltinPrishtinabetween1912andtheendofthetwentiethcentury.
Prizren.Theminaretofthetorn-downArastaMosque.
MosquesandotherIslamicheritagesiteselsewhereinKosovodidnotfaresignificantlybetterduringthecommunistperiod.InthecentreofPrizren,thehistoricArastaMosque(built1594)wastorndownin1963tomakewayforanewpostofficeandmarketstalls;onlyitsminaretwasleftstanding,asa‘civicmonument’.InPeja/Peć,thesixteenth-centuryKurshumliMosquewasclosedaftertheendoftheSecondWorldWarandturnedintoanarmsdepotfortheYugoslavarmy.Itwasreturnedtoworshipafteralapseoftwentyyearsin1965.Inthepost-waryears,theregimealsosuppressedIslamicreligiouseducationandseizedthepropertyofthepiousendowmentsthathadsustainedthemosquesandtheiractivities.However,somemosquescontinuedtobebuiltinvillages,remotefromthecentresofpower.Abouttwodozenofthemosquesdocumentedinthisvolumewerebuiltbetween1945and1989.Althoughthe1990sinKosovowereyearsofsevererepressioninmostrespects,communist-erarestrictionsonthebuildingandrepairofmosqueswereeasedsomewhatduringthisfinaldecadeofBelgrade’srule,atleastoutsideofthemajorcities.Closeto20ofthemosqueslistedinthisvolumewerebuiltorreconstructedinthe1990s.Insomecases,unfortunately,thisnewbuildingactivityalsoinvolveddamageordestructionofIslamicheritage.Morethantwo-thirdsofthe560activemosquesinKosovoontheeveofthe1998-1999warwerebuildingsdatingfromtheOttomanera.Manyoftheseweremonumentsofhistoricalandarchitecturalsignificance.However,thispartof
Kosovo’sculturalandreligiousheritagereceivedrelativelylittleattentionfromthestateauthoritieschargedwiththeprotectionofmonuments.Between1947and1990,atotalof425monumentsandsitesinKosovowereofficiallydesignatedforstateprotection.Theseincluded96archaeologicalsites,16cemeteries,116secularbuildingsandmonuments,and174religioussites.Ofthelastcategory,139wereOrthodoxchurchesormonasteries,whileonly32Islamicreligiousmonumentshadbeenlistedforprotection.Sincelistedsitesreceivedpriorityinattentionandinconservationfundingfromstateagencies,thismeantthatbythe1990smuchofKosovo’sIslamicbuiltheritagewasinadilapidatedstate,afterdecadesofneglect.Inpractice,theauthoritiesnotonlyfailedtoprovidethefundsandexpertiseneededforthepreservationofthesehistorichousesofworship,theyallowedevenlistedIslamicmonumentstobealteredordemolishedwithoutintervening.TheyearsofpeacetimeneglectwerefollowedbythemassivewartimedestructionofKosovo’sIslamicreligiousheritagein1998-1999.Ashasbeendocumentedinthisbook,roughly40percentofKosovo’s560mosquesweredamagedordestroyedduringthewar.
Retia/Retimlje.VillagemosqueblownupbySerbianforces,March1999.
Thedamageinmostcaseswasclearlytheresultofdeliberateattacksdirectedagainstthemosques.Thereisevidenceofexplosivesplantedinthemosqueorinsidetheminaret,ofartilleryprojectilesaimedattheminaret,andofmosquessetablaze.Insomeplaces,themosquewastheonlybuildinginthevicinitythathadbeensingledoutforattack.Moreoften,thedestructionofamosquewasaccompaniedbytheburningofthesurroundinghomesofthelocalAlbanianresidents.ThedevastationofIslamicsacralsiteswaswidespreadandsystematic,withfewareasofKosovoleftuntouched.
Peja/Peć.TheMarketMosque(1471),torchedbySerbianpolicemen,June1999.AmongtheworsthitwasthenorthwesternregionofPeja/Peć,whereeveryoneof49Islamicsiteswasattackedin1998and1999.Amongthesitestargetedweretheregion’s36mosques(halfofthemdatingfromthe15th-18thcenturies),theoffices,archivesandlibraryoftheIslamicCommunityCouncilofPeja,ahistoricmedresa,a15th-centuryhamam(Turkishbaths),9schoolsforQur’anreaders(mekteb),adervishlodge(tekke),andseveralmosquelibraries.
Peja/Peć.RedMosque(1755),burnedbySerbiantroopsandpoliceMarch1999
Insomeplaces,thoseresponsiblefortheseattackshadleftbehindtheir“signatures”—intheformofanti-Albanianandanti-IslamicgraffitiinSerbianscrawledonmosquewalls,orinthedeliberatedesecrationofIslamicsacredscriptures,tornapartbyhand,defiledandburned.ExamplesofthissortcouldbeseenintheGjylfatynMosqueinPeja,theMosqueofCarraleva/Crnoljevo,theMosqueofLivoçiPoshtëm/DonjiLivoč,andtheMosqueofStanofciPoshtëm,andinanumberofothermosques.
Carraleva/Crnoljevo.Torn-upanddesecratedQur’ansinthevillagemosque.
Ofthe218mosquesand11tekkesinKosovothatweredestroyedordamagedduringthewar,22mosquesand8tekkeswereinthemostseveredamagecategories.Amongthese,13mosquesand5tekkeswerecompletelyrazed,theruinslevelledbybulldozer;9mosquesand3tekkeswerereducedtorubble,buttheruinswerenotbulldozed.AmongexamplesofcompletelylevelledIslamichousesofworshiparetheBazaarMosque(built1761-62;renewed1878)inVushtrria/Vučitrn,theIbërMosque(built1878)inMitrovica,theMosqueofHalilEfendiinDobërçan/Dobrčane(1526),theMosqueofLoxha(1900),andthehistoricBektashitekkeinGjakova/Đakovica(1790).
Vushtrria.GaziAliBegMosque(1410),itsminaretblownawaybyatankcannon
Mushtisht/Mušutište.MosqueofHasanPasha(1702).BlownupinApril1999.
Anadditional95mosquessufferedlesserdegreesofdamage,rangingfromshellholesinthewalls,throughtherooforintheshaftoftheminaret,tovandalism,includingfiressetinsidethemosque,smashed-upinteriorfurnishings,andthedesecrationofsacredscriptures.Atotalof31mosquesand2tekkes(dervishlodges)wereattackedbySerbforcesduringthefirstyearofthewar,inthespringandsummerof1998.Two-thirdsofthesereligiousbuildingswereburneddown,blownuporotherwisedestroyedorseriouslydamaged.Tenofthemosquesthatweredamagedduring1998weresubjectedtorepeatattacksandfurtherdamageduringthespringof1999.Duringthesecondyearofthewarin1999,atotalof197mosquesand9tekkesinKosovoweredamagedordestroyedbySerbforces.Onemosque,inthevillageofJabllanica(Prizrenregion),haditsroofpartlydestroyedbyaNATOairstrikeinthespringof1999.Otherwise,thedestructionofmosquesandofotherIslamicheritageinKosovoduringthewarwasentirelyattributabletoattacksfromtheground,carriedoutbySerbiantroops,policeandparamilitaries,andinsomecasesbySerbcivilians.
Mitrovica.Tekke(dervishlodge)ofShehFejzullah.Destroyedinspring1999.
ThedestructionalsoencompassedthewrittenrecordofIslamicreligiousandculturallifeinKosovo.TheCentralHistoricalArchivesoftheIslamicCommunityofKosovowereburnedbySerbianpoliceinJune1999,hoursbeforethearrivalofthefirstNATOtroopsinPrishtina.SixoftheregionalarchivesoftheIslamicCommunitywerealsoattackedandwhollyorpartiallydestroyed,amongthemthearchivesoftheIslamicCommunityCouncilsinPeja/Peć,Gjakova/Đakovica,Gllogoc/Glogovac,Lipjan,Peja/Peć,Skenderaj/Srbica,andSuhareka.Kosovo’sIslamicreligiouslibrarieswerealsosingledoutfordestruction.NotablelossesincludethemanuscriptsandoldbooksofthelibraryofHadumSyleimanEfendiinGjakova/Đakovica,foundedin1595andburnedin1999,aswellasthelibrariesofdervishlodgesinGjakova/Đakovica,MitrovicaandPeja/Peć,alsodestroyedin1999.However,thelossesgofarbeyondthis.ManyoldmosquesinKosovohadbeenendowedwithcollectionsofQur’anmanuscriptsandIslamicreligiousbooksthatweredestroyedordamagedin1998-1999.
Prishtina.HistoricalArchiveoftheIslamicCommunityofKosovo(BIK),torchedby
Serbianpoliceon13June1999.AmongthehistoriccentersofIslamiccultureinKosovo,onlythecityofPrizrenescapedlargelyunscathed.TheonlyIslamicmonumentdestroyedinPrizrenwasasmallbuilding,partoftheMedresaofGhaziMehmedPasha,inwhichtheLeagueofPrizren,agroupofAlbaniancivicleaderscampaigningforautonomywithintheOttomanEmpire,metin1878.Thebuilding,whichhousedamemorialmuseumofthenineteenth-centuryAlbaniannationalrevival,wasdestroyedbySerbianpoliceinMarch1999.
Remarkably,notasingleSerbOrthodoxchurchormonasteryinKosovowasdamagedordestroyedbyAlbaniansduringthe1998-1999conflict.Unfortunatelythatchangedaftertheendofthewar,asthousandsofAlbanianrefugeeswhohadbeenforcedoutofKosovoduringthewarreturnedtotheirburned-outhometownsandvillages.FollowingtheendofhostilitiesinJune1999,dozensofSerbOrthodoxchurchesandmonasteriesweredamagedinrevengeattacks.Some40SerbOrthodoxsiteswerevandalized,whileanother40sufferedseriousstructuraldamageorweredestroyedcompletely.Manyofthesebuildingswerevillagechurches,someofthembuiltduringthepreviousdecade.Butabout15to20ofthedestroyedchurchesdatedfromthemedievalperiod.
Mushtisht/Mušutište.ChurchoftheHolyVirginOdigitria(1315),beforeandafter
itwasdestroyedbyreturningKosovoAlbaniansinJuly1999.Bytheendofthesummerof1999,asaresultoftheeffortsofKFORandtheUNadministrationtorestoreorder,andinresponsetopublicappealsbyKosovoAlbanianpoliticalandreligiousleaders,attacksonSerbOrthodoxreligioussiteslargelyceased.Thisbookisanattempttodocument,totheextentpossible,theIslamicsacralheritageofKosovothatwaslostduringthe1998-1999war.AsKosovoanditspeoplecometotermswiththepainfulmemoriesoftherecentpastandworktowardsacommonfutureitiswelltorecallthat,formostofKosovo’slonghistory,housesofworshipwereprotectedbyallcommunitiesandhadtraditionallybeenheldimmunefrompersonalandcommunalvendettas.TherichculturalheritagethatremainsinKosovo,despitetheravagesoftimeandthedestructionofwar,isthecommonpatrimonyofallofKosovo’speople.Itisuptothem,asitwasuptotheirforefathers,tojointlyvalueandpreserveitforfuturegenerations._______________AndrásRiedlmayerdirectstheDocumentationCentreforIslamicArchitectureoftheAgaKhanProgramatHarvardUniversity.In1999-2001,RiedlmayerandhiscolleagueAndrewHerscher,anarchitectandarchitecturalhistorian,conducteda
post-warfieldsurveyofculturalheritageinKosovo.TheresultsofthefieldsurveyweresubmittedtotheUNInterimAdministrationMissioninKosovo(UNMIK)andtotheUNwarcrimestribunalfortheformerYugoslavia(ICTY).HehassincetestifiedaboutthesefindingsasanexpertwitnessatthewarcrimestrialofformerSerbianpresidentSlobodanMiloševićandinseveralothercasesbeforetheICTY.
